H1B VISA STAMPING PROCESS

For all US consulate website links visit:- http://usembassy.state.gov/ Few consulates clearly specify to carry following documents with you:1) I-797 -- the original notice of approval, 2) The complete I-129 petition submitted by your prospective employer including the Labor Condition Application 3) The originals of your university diplomas, mark sheets and any certificates you may have. (Secondary school information is not required) 4) Letter from petitioning employer confirming employer's intent to hire the Applicant 5) Your work experience letters from your previous employers First time applicants may consider submitting the following documents: (If you don't have all of these don't panic, these are recommended add on documents. If you have all of the below documents it is well and good). 1) Pay slips from current or most recent place of employment 2) Names and current phone numbers of the personnel managers at the applicant's present and past jobs 3) Photographs of the inside and outside of current or most recent employer's place of business 4) Names and contact information of two co-workers from your current or most recent place of employment (Inform these people that you are giving their references, so if US consulate contacts them they give proper reply for you) 5) Names and contact information of two co-workers from past jobs (Inform these people that you are giving their references, so if US consulate contacts them they give proper reply for you) 6) A complete resume/bio-data and cover letter describing current job duties in detail 7) Personal bank records for the last six months 8) US company information: photographs of the inside and outside of the company's offices, prospectus, brochures, and annual report 9) Carry a copy of earlier B1 invitation letters if you have. Kindly visit http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/ for more information on visa policies. Fill all forms properly and cross verify it 2-3 times. Also get it verified through someone else. Any mistake in form is clear indication of visa rejection. Especially in your first name and last name there shouldn't be any mistake at all in any characters. NOTE: - IF VISA FORM HAS ANY TYPO/TYPING ERROR IN IT THEN USE NEW FORM TO RE-FILL ALL THE DETAILS. NO CROSSING/CHECKS OR CORRECTIONS IN THE FORM. IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAN AND NEAT. Always you should fill up the form yourself and at the bottom sign (Which indicates that form is filled by you only). Usually if someone else fills the form and you make a sign saying that you filled the form and any mistake in the form

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can result in visa denial (Because if you fill the form then there is no way you can make such silly mistakes (egg. Birthdates, Last name or any other critical info) and in front of visa consulate you can't say that you didn't filled the form since you signed the form saying that it is filled by you. Such things has happened in the past when form was filled by MNC company corporate travel desk and visa was denied. so be careful) US Consulate stamping process:=============================== 1) You need to do a web booking to take an appointment for visa stamping through http://www.ttsvisas.com/ (For Mumbai I am not sure about the link for appointment). For Chennai http://www.ttsvisas.com/ link is sure to be used for taking an appointment. 2) After taking a web appointment take a printout of the appointment page and the appointment ID. NOTE: - You can change the appointment date later if you find other convenient date available, but each time you make change you need to take a print of new date and new ID. Without the latest date/ID security at US consulate will not permit you to enter the consulate. In my case I was rushed at the last moment to find a cyber cafe and make a print of new date. So be careful 3) You can carry only your documents with you and that too in a plastic bag or something like that. Bags/Briefcase etc are not permitted inside not even the office handbag, only plastic/polythin bag with your documents is permitted. 4) You can't carry the cell phone, digital diary or any other electronics with you. 5) IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU GO TO US CONSULATE WITH ONE FRIEND WHO CAN WAIT OUTSIDE AND HELP YOU IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT. 6) Once you get into the US consulate, you need to pass through a security check. 7) After security check you need to pay the DD to TT Visa services. This charge is around Rs 400 (Re-check it for latest charges) this charge is for using the web appointment service and the courier service to receive your passport once stamping is done. 8) Later you need to go to the next counter; here you need to submit the visa forms and all required documents. These documents are the basis for making the decision of your visa. So submit as many documents as you can. (They might not take the original mark sheets/certificates and that might remain with you and you need to show them when they request. Better provide those documents too and the lady verifies all documents and returns you the doc if it is not required.). After accepting the documents she will return you a token which is your waiting list ID for your turn. 9) Later you'll be requested to go to other location where stamping is done. There you'll find hundreds of people sitting in the waiting list to get visa stamping done. You'll see various counters like railway ticket reservation counters and you'll be standing in the queue for your turn. 10) Before your turn comes, your file will be verified by backend officers and they will check all validity and cross verification. After that they will send that file to front desk visa officer with few analysis details along with your file. They also update the details on the computer network.

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11) When your turn comes visa officer will open the file, look at the comments and the analysis report, and check details on the computer network. THIS 3-4 MINTES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR YOU. THIS MOMENT IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE LIFE. WITHIN THESE 3-4 MINUTES YOUR LIFE WILL GET CHANGED. -> Keep smile on your face -> Be extremely polite to visa officer -> Don't get angry anytime since if you do so then such details are preserved and next time visa application will create problems. -> Be extremely cool and reply precise to the questions asked by the visa officer MOST IMPORTANT NOTE: - YOU VISA DEPENDS ON HOW WELL YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK. i.e. HOW WELL YOU PREPARED YOUR FILE, ARRANGED ALL DOCUMENTS WELL. IF VISA OFFICER FEELS VERY CONVINIENT IN LOOKING AT DOCUMENT HE WILL BE IMPRESSED BY YOUR WELL PREPAREDNESS. ANY INCONVINIENCE TO HIM WILL MAKE HIM TENSE AND GET A FEELING THAT YOU ARE NOT WELL PREPARED AND SYSTEMATIC. SAMPLE QUESTIONS:================== What is the size of your US company? i.e. Employee strength Give the precise number. This question matters a lot since if your company is big and has more number of employees then it becomes easy in taking the visa. Since bigger companies will not try for fraud things. Always remember that there are lots of companies in US which do just visa sponsorship and make money on that basis. Visa officer already knows about your company back ground. This details he gets from the H1 visa approval documents from US which is specific to a company and the analysis results provided to the visa officer when you were waiting for your turn to come. Never ever lie in front of visa officer. Visa officer duty is to deal with peoples everyday, so they catch lie immediately since they are experts in such things. It is there day to day work. If you already had made trips to US, mention that you traveled earlier to US and you are familiar with US work culture. Give your company details, broachers etc of both new US company as well as your existing company. If asked how long you want to be in US, mention the same number as you mentioned in the visa form. (Usually you can mention 3 years since H1 is valid for 3 years) When requested show the document like mark sheets, current employer pay stub, bank details, photographs etc. If you had arranged all documents properly well, then it becomes extremely easy to take out any document as requested by visa officer. So do you homework well. 12) Now if everything goes well visa officer will inform you to go to the next counter and pay the D.D. or he may say "HAVE A NICE TRIP". This means you are approved for H1 visa stamping :-) Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Visa officer will keep the passport with him and return all other documents. If he returns the passport also then there was some problem and visa officer will return the reason for denial of visa. Returning passport means denial of visa. Usually when visa is approved it takes a day for US consulate to do stamping in your passport.

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Well, now you are all set and you are done. Passport will be sent to you through courier in next 1-2 days at the home address you mentioned in the Visa application form. Come out of US consulate and have nice lunch or dinner in 5 start hotel. Also take all your colleagues who helped you in the process, as well as your friend who was waiting outside to help you incase if you had any emergency :-) Take the next flight and come back home. Since you are carrying all original documents with you, always be careful in traveling. Better to use flight Instead of taking risk in bus/train with all original documents :-) We all will be waiting eagerly to see you in US. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regards Greycell Volunteers Group

www.greycell.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gc_usa/ New jersey, USA 08820

Note: - Any information from this document shouldnt be copied, changed and is meant for the close IT professionals, Friends, and Group Members. The information provided in this website/document is not legal advice and should not be interpreted as legal advice. This information may not be comprehensive, is subject to change, and may not apply to all individual circumstances. Any information received here should be confirmed with the appropriate government agencies or with an attorney, particularly as it relates to your individual circumstances. Information shared in this document is based on our group members experience. This document is just to share the visa experience with our group members. Our volunteer group is not responsible for any issues and we dont deal with visa processing. We strongly recommend you to follow the process as suggested by your company/lawyer/visa officer. Please visit US consulate websites to know the latest visa trend/process and other formalities.

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